hip/butt/leg discomfort with pictures

[Dan86]

Hi everyone, I'm a 23 year old male and last year around this time I sustained a lifting injury. I was curling weights roughly 60 pounds or so and trying to keep up with my much bigger roomate and was swinging my hips really bad and felt something odd happen in my right hip. Next morning I felt an achy spot and thought it would go away on its own. After about a week or so I started getting leg pain (nerve related )so I went to the PT. With my symptoms he thought it was a bulged disk so he gave me exercises to do for them (Mcenzie workouts and electronic stimulation), and it helped quite a bit. When I was hooked up to the stimulation machine I could literally feel something moving in the circled area in the picture, and it hurt quite a bit. A few months ago I finally got an MRI on my back and hip and just showed very minor disk degeneration and the doctor said it was really nothing to worry about. I've been doing quite a bit of research and have been really working on my piriformis area and it shows quite a bit of improvement. A few stretches I could feel the sore spot being pulled on but it felt wonderful. I also have been doing the self massage with the tennis ball and the first few times it hurt like HELL but the pain has gone away quite a bit. My range of motion has gotten quite a bit better and everything as well. Here were my major symptoms when I first had this

Sitting
Coughing
Laying on a very unfirm piece of furniture
Jumping
Running
Raising my right leg while sitting and bending my head down

With doing all the stretches these symptoms have gone down greatly, but am just curious to what everyone else might think. Also, my right oblique area is somewhat dented in compared to the left side, and the left side is more tight, which I never had compared to my other pictures with my shirt off. I'm thinking this muscular imbalance may be a part of my problem too.

Sorry about picture quality, took them with a 10 dollar camera. A couple of pics I'm standing infront of a mirror and taking them.

[Steve]

Hi

Quite often with these kind of injuries muscles will hold on to protect areas and persistance with what you are doing is often key to continued progression. People are of course different and on the whole we all want quick fixes..unfortunately with an injury such as yours (by the description) where there was an acute incident this is not the case. I would suggest that you contniue to have periodic check up's with a physical therapist who can alter the regime of treatment/self treatment as you progress and of course work your way slowly back up to the level of training you were doing before focusing on the quality and safety of your exercise.

Core stability is also important.
http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/lower_back_pain.php

best of luck
Steve